Where once I could find something to write about every day of the week, now I stutter and stammer and struggle to come up with three posts in seven days. I think there is a lot to be said for habit and momentum. When you're on a roll, you're like a tumble weed, gathering dust and dirt and debris and kernels of ideas everywhere you go. When you're not... well, let's just say that everything stagnates.
So, in place of a lyrical, whimsical post about nothing, here are 10 things I learnt last week.
1. When comics and real life collide, it's not easy to explain to an eight-year-old why the news story accompanying the picture of The Joker is not for him to read.
2. Mr5 will never smoke because, and I quote, "he doesn't even know where you buy them from". Note to self: work on the notion of "just because you can, doesn't mean you should". And "Just Say No".
3. The nature of freelance writing is changing. And it's more important than ever to maintain diverse income streams.
4. Those minutes where you're waiting to see if the crackling on your pork roast is going to crackle can be long. Very long.
5. It is possible to score an own goal and still win the Player of the Week trophy for defense. When you are five. Which just goes to show that anything is possible.
6. Being controversial for the sake of it becomes incredibly boring. As in Ho Hum. The number of links I see on Twitter and Facebook that are obviously carefully crafted to make people cross just make me turn away. I don't care how you parent. I don't care if you change your name. I am beginning to wonder if all the outrage on the internet is simply making us less and less interested in taking a stand about anything. Why open your mouth when someone is waiting there, cursor blinking, to jump down your throat JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN?
7. Which is why I prefer to have my discussions and debates face-to-face. I am less interested in writing a lengthy discourse on My Truth and more interested in talking about someone else's. Could the internet, long believed to be the downfall of quality social interaction, be the very thing that drives us back to quality social interaction?
8. The Ancient Greeks did not compete for Olympic gold medals but for Olympic olive wreaths. Mr8 was tickled by this notion.
9. I think I left half the socks in the Fibro with my blogging mojo. It's the only explanation as to why I have one single sock from every pair the boys own.
10. I should have made these posts 3 Things I Learn't Last Week.
What did you learn this week?
[image from Pinterest, but links to a spam site, so if it's yours, please let me know]
I was just going through my blogger reading list and realising that so many blog I read are no more, when I saw your post.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens I suspect, is that life gets in the way of blogging. Me, I'm just happy to post when I can because my blog isn't my life but I know some people need to post every day and that's their goal.
As for the socks, I just wish they would sell three together rather than a pair, so that when I lose one I have another. Socks missing in action is a big part of my laundry life.
The internet is great for work and that's about it. All the good stuff is in real life: hot cups of tea, warm kisses, fresh eggs, books in print, two-way face to face conversation.
ReplyDeleteAlso agree on the tumbleweed front. The more you do, the more you do.
It's definitely a momentum thing. I find when I have a few straight days of designing, it just flows and I'm off. After the holidays, I'm trying to get rolling again.
ReplyDeleteAll in good time.
Good work here, Al, trying to warm up that old "I hate your pointless controversy" controversy. I was going to let it pass, but it occurred to me that there are just few pertinent points, close to my heart, that everyone needs to hear about again... :P
ReplyDeleteThere certainly is something to that notion of endless online controversies making it difficult to spot a real issue of genuine significance, but it is a very complex idea unlikely to make itself heard where it is most needed.
As for momentum, I picture a fly-wheel behind my writing. Takes a good deal of effort to get up to speed and then it almost turns itself over from there.
And regarding the socks, this is clearly also a politically-motivated distraction by vested industrial interests. Simply giving up on pairs of socks—since any two socks will clearly suffice—will recover so many distracted moments in your life that you will suddenly find yourself fully-equipped with the resources to change the world. Check out the 'odd-socks for change' campaign.
I do love your ability to spot a conspiracy in every washing load Cam. :-) I will join your campaign and will raise you a random glove, 26 homeless buttons and, controversially, a mysterious screw.
DeleteHello Allison, I learnt that even though I wasn't smug (honest) about none of us being sick this winter... that wouldn't protect some of us from getting sick this winter. Or vomiting. The kids are taking it in turns.
ReplyDeleteAlso that it's lovely to meet a blogger pal in real life, Ms Slimalicious and I met to eat and drink on Sat late arvo and she's lovely and we swapped top tips. Great.
Maybe the blogging mojo will return when the boxes are all unpacked, there's an incentive! Are you also finding other writing tricky to get to??
Love the pork crackle conundrum. And if you turn away it burns.
ReplyDeleteAlso the sock issue. Every 6 months or so I just give up and buy a stack of new socks and chuck out the odd ones. Then their pairs all reappear within a few days. Where were they? And why are they torturing me like this?
Couldn't agree more about the created drama/controversy issue. I honestly think some people have too much time on their hands.
Take care.
I love point 6 and I'm hoping for point 7. And we are about to dive into Olympic research projects, too. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteMy muse had disappeared under the mundane ins and outs of daily life but I've been encouraging her return over the last week and thank goodness she came back in full force today. Perhaps she bought your muse with her? If I find a spare one, loitering around, I'll send her straight back. But she definitely didn't bring any extra socks though....
ReplyDeleteI think we should go back to olive wreaths. Maybe your spare socks will match mine? I will bring my stash next time I visit. You just never know... I deliberately avoid controversy on-line. Much more fun F2F! I can't remember the last time I learnt 10 things in a week x
ReplyDeleteAha - let me guess, you're referring to the white noise surrounding the attachment parenting issue? That old chesnut seems to be recycled every few months and is always good for setting the blogo/twittersphere ablaze. The internet has the potential to be a forum for rational and respectful discussion but unfortunately in hasn't really panned out that way. Half the online community is banging out extremist views whilst the other half is scared to say anything substantial. (A bit of an exaggeration but you get my drift).
ReplyDeleteOn a separate issue I'm working on a theory that all the socks are sucked into the same blackhole as my sunglasses. Somewhere there is an alternative universe woven out of odd socks and raybans.
Keep writing.
Mumabulous@mum-abulous.com
I hope you're right about number 7. And re the socks, at least you know your muse has toasty toes.. I too find the agitating attitude a bit wearisome..
ReplyDelete